How to Slim Down with a 1500 Calorie Diet

It's common knowledge that in order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you ingest. The only two ways to lose weight and get the body you want are to increase your exercise or decrease the amount of food you eat. A 1500 calorie diet would certainly help most people decrease the amount of calories they eat. According to some estimates, to reach a target weight of 150 pounds, an exercise-less 1500 calorie diet should do the trick. But what does a 1500 calorie diet look like?
A 1500 calorie diet would include more fruits and vegetables and less sugars and fats. Replacing fatty meats, such as ground beef or bacon with leaner meats such as turkey or chicken is a good start. Eliminate the "extras". This means the unnecessary foods that you know aren't very good for you anyway. Removing such foods as candy bars, soft drinks, store-bought cookies and cakes, and alcohol can go a long way in reaching a 1500 calorie diet.

The key to feeling full while following a 1500 calorie diet is to load up on foods that are full of fiber. Fiber is a dense nutrient and leads to that feeling of fullness in your stomach. You'd be surprised at some of the food that are high in fiber and fit in perfectly to a 1500 calorie diet. Such foods as raspberries, beans and other legumes, and even whole-wheat pasta are high in fiber and great for a 1500 calorie diet.

The other thing that is important in any diet, but especially a 1500 calorie diet is to eat many smaller meals in a day, rather than one or two large meals. If you're eating low-calorie, high-fiber foods throughout the day, or roughly every 3 or 4 hours, this will curb the hunger pangs that often lead to over-eating.

The following is a sample day under a 1500 calorie diet.

Start off the day with a bowl of high-fiber cereal (avoid processed flours or high sugar) and low-fat milk. Add a cup of raspberries or blueberries.

Have a piece of fruit or low-fat cereal bar when you get to work.
For lunch, I'd recommend a low-fat peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Make sure you use multi-grain or whole-wheat bread. An apple and some sunflower seeds would work as sides.

Any piece of fruit or vegetables (such as carrot sticks - no Ranch dressing!) would work in the afternoon hours.

Finally for dinner, go with a salad (throw in some spinach to really get some good nutrients) and a side of white bean salad.

The most important thing to remember in a 1500 calorie diet is to find the foods that you like AND to mix it up and try some new things. This means you'll eat your favorites and maybe find some new ones too!